IPL 2025: BCCI tweaks rules in slow over-rate offences; Captains not to get suspended anymore

Kolkata Knight Riders will enter IPL 2025 as defending champions.

On Thursday, March 20, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, captains will no longer face a one-match suspension after three over-rate offences in a season.

From this season onwards, such offences will only result in a fine and in-game field restrictions. However, any sanctions imposed before the 2025 season will still have to be served.

This means Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya will miss the franchise’s opening game against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23 in Chennai. Pandya was handed a one-match suspension for repeated slow over-rate offences in IPL 2024, which carried forward to the first game of IPL 2025.

BCCI tweaks rules in slow over-rate offences; Captains not to get suspended anymore

The IPL governing council has introduced a demerit points system to align the IPL code of conduct with the ICC code of conduct. Any sanction imposed by a match referee will convert into demerit points.

According to the rule, a fine of 25% of the match fee will result in one demerit point. This applies to both players and team officials, with the points accumulating and remaining on the individual’s record for 36 months. If enough demerit points are accumulated, the player or official could face a suspension.

Players, team officials, or franchises can appeal sanctions for Level 2 or 3 offences before the BCCI ombudsman. However, an appeal will only be considered upon payment of an appeal fee of INR 90 lakhs.

The payment will be refunded only if the appeal is successful before the ombudsman.

The 18th edition of the IPL will begin on Saturday, March 22, with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

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